Cretin Merz emerges from the earliest Merzbow sessions, when the project existed as an improvisational duo exploring the boundaries between music, noise, and performance art. The provocative title—merging "cretin" with "Merz" (the Dadaist concept developed by Kurt Schwitters)—announces the irreverent spirit that has characterized Akita's work from its inception.

These recordings, previously recycled as raw material for other releases, appear here in their original unedited form for the first time. This distinction matters: throughout his career, Akita has frequently repurposed earlier recordings, layering and transforming them into new works. By presenting the source material, the Archive Series reveals the building blocks of the Merzbow edifice. The session captures Akita and Mizutani channeling the energy of Tokyo's late-70s underground scene—a ferment of punk, free jazz, experimental electronics, and performance art.